


musings;

by orphan_account



Category: Tales of Xillia
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-24
Updated: 2013-08-24
Packaged: 2017-12-24 12:03:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/939795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post-game. The proverbial penny for Jude's thoughts on life after Milla Maxwell, and a silent observer in the shadows.</p>
            </blockquote>





	musings;

**Author's Note:**

> You may or may not see this floating around on Space Email.
> 
> I just wanted to write myself self-indulgent drabblefic to attempt to close the void in my heart that Xillia left.

Accepting the fact that Milla -- newly appointed Maxwell, Lord of Spirits -- no longer existed in the physical plane didn't exactly take rocket science to pull off, but it sure was hard to swallow all the same.

Sighing, Jude brushed his hair out of his eyes, blinked wearily, and turned his attention back to the thesis paper in his hand. He had dozed off for a while, dreaming of Kanbalar and Labari Hollow and the Temporal Crossroads and bits and pieces of certain memories he didn't have the heart to fully recall. The daydream was a welcome break, however, despite the emotional turmoil that roiled beneath its surface; Spyrite research greeted his every waking moment these days, and it certainly was hard work, but if it meant finding a way for Rieze Maxia and Elympios to coexist together peacefully, human and spirit worlds intact, then he would work himself to the bone to see to the completion of his mission.

Mission. He hadn't really said that out loud in a while. Not since she left. Rolling the syllables over his tongue thoughtfully, his thoughts drifted back to the woman whose existence was a mere triviality in the face of the mission she was born to complete.

"Mil-la," he singsonged, more to himself than to anyone else who might be listening. She did say she'd always be around. She promised she would be. He didn't really know why he said her name out loud, in any case. Maybe it helped him remember that she did exist at some point in his life.

He sat in silence, hoping for a rush of wind or a faint glimmer in the air, anything. Anything to signify her presence. She promised she'd always be watching. He needed her to keep her promise.

Nothing happened. Jude looked down at his hands quietly, opening and closing and opening them over and over. He wondered when he would get to hold her hand again, the way he did as Milla, beautiful, strong Milla, took on the mantle of Lord of Spirits with tears in her eyes and the firmest resolve in her heart.

Feeling a little silly, he shook his head with a small smile and turned to his research once again. Being Lord of Spirits was probably harder than Milla made it look like, and he knew from firsthand experience that she always gave a hundred percent in whatever task was conferred upon her. It would be strange, indeed, if Milla were to be hanging around him instead of dealing with matters in the spirit plane.

A little wishful thinking never hurt anyone though, he said to himself. But he had a mission to complete, too, and he'd see it through. He'd find a way to protect everyone. He'd find a way to see her again, too. Definitely see her again.

Jude drifted off into slumber once more, head rested on top of his twice-abandoned papers.

\---

Milla watched Jude sleep from her perch on his windowsill. Silly Jude, she chuckled to herself. I'm always around. I may not be human anymore, and it gets kind of hard to talk to any of you like this, but I never break my promises.

Jumping lightly off the sill, she walked to the sleeping man and kissed his cheek quietly.

"I'll always be here."

\---

That night, Jude dreamt of strawberry blonde and striking scarlet and the gentlest of touches.


End file.
